Apparatus and method for degrading a web in the machine direction while preserving cross-machine direction strength

ABSTRACT

An embossing system for embossing and perforating at least a portion of a web is provided comprising a first embossing roll having embossing elements and at least a second embossing roll having embossing elements, wherein the elements of the first and second embossing rolls define perforate nips for embossing and perforating the web and wherein at least a predominate number of the perforate nips are substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction. Moreover, substantially all of the nips defined by the embossing elements of the first and second embossing rolls can be substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction. Further, the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of about 85° to 95° from the machine direction.

This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/808,431, filed Mar. 25,2004, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/036,770, filedDec. 21, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,626), both of which areincorporated herein by referenced in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for embossing amoving web of material, such as paper, to create a functional controlleddegradation of the machine direction strength of the web while limitingdegradation of the cross-machine direction strength of the web. Inparticular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method forembossing a moving web using an embossing system having perforateembossing elements oriented to define perforating nips substantiallyoriented in the cross-machine direction to improve the flexibility,feel, bulk, and absorbency of the paper.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Embossing is the act of mechanically working a substrate to cause thesubstrate to conform under pressure to the depths and contours of apatterned embossing roll. Generally the web is passed between a pair ofembossing rolls that, under pressure, form contours within the surfaceof the web. During an embossing process, the roll pattern is impartedonto the web at a certain pressure and/or penetration. In perforateembossing the embossing elements are configured such that at least aportion of the web located between the embossing elements is perforated.As used herein, generally, “perforated” refers to the existence ofeither (1) a macro-scale through aperture in the web or (2) when amacro-scale through aperture does not exist, at least incipient tearingsuch as would increase the transmittivity of light through a smallregion of the web or would decrease the machine direction strength of aweb by at least 15% for a given range of embossing depths.

Embossing is commonly used to modify the properties of a web to make afinal product produced from that web more appealing to the consumer. Forexample, embossing a web can improve the softness, absorbency, and bulkof the final product. Embossing can also be used to impart an appealingpattern to a final product.

Embossing is carried out by passing a web between two or more embossingrolls, at least one of which carries the desired emboss pattern. Knownembossing configurations include rigid-to-resilient embossing andrigid-to-rigid embossing.

In a rigid-to-resilient embossing system, a single or multi-plysubstrate is passed through a nip formed between a roll whosesubstantially rigid surface contains the embossing pattern as amultiplicity of protuberances and/or depressions arranged in anaesthetically-pleasing manner, and a second roll, whose substantiallyresilient surface can be either smooth or also contain a multiplicity ofprotuberances and/or depressions which cooperate with the rigid surfacedpatterned roll. Commonly, rigid rolls are formed with a steel body whichis either directly engraved upon or which can contain a hardrubber-covered, or other suitable polymer, surface (directly coated orsleeved) upon which the embossing pattern is formed by any convenientmethod such as, for example, being laser engraved. The resilient rollmay consist of a steel core provided with a resilient surface, such asbeing directly covered or sleeved with a resilient material such asrubber, or other suitable polymer. The rubber coating may be eithersmooth or engraved with a pattern. The pattern on the resilient roll maybe either a mated or a non-mated pattern with respect to the patterncarried on the rigid roll.

In the rigid-to-rigid embossing process, a single-ply or multi-plysubstrate is passed through a nip formed between two substantially rigidrolls. The surfaces of both rolls contain the pattern to be embossed asa multiplicity of protuberances and/or depressions arranged into anaesthetically-pleasing manner where the protuberances and/or depressionsin the second roll cooperate with those patterned in the first rigidroll. The first rigid roll may be formed, for example, with a steel bodywhich is either directly engraved upon or which can contain a hardrubber-covered, or other suitable polymer, surface (directly coated orsleeved) upon which the embossing pattern is engraved by anyconventional method, such as by laser engraving. The second rigid rollcan be formed with a steel body or can contain a hard rubber covered, orother suitable polymer, surface (directly coated or sleeved) upon whichany convenient pattern, such as a matching or mated pattern, isconventionally engraved or laser-engraved. In perforate embossing, arigid-to-rigid embossing system is typically used. However, arigid-resilient configuration can also be used for perforate embossing.

When substantially rectangular embossing elements have been employed inperforate embossing, the embossing elements on the embossing rolls havegenerally been oriented so that the long direction axis, i.e., the majoraxis, of the elements is in the machine direction. That is, the majoraxis of the elements is oriented to correspond to the direction of therunning web being embossed. These elements are referred to as machinedirection elements. As a result, the elements produce perforations whichextend primarily in the machine direction and undesirably decrease thestrength of the web in the cross-machine direction. This orientationimproves absorbency and softness, but can degrade, i.e., reduce thestrength of, the web primarily in the cross-machine direction while lesssignificantly degrading the strength of the web in the machinedirection. As a result, the tensile strength of the web in thecross-machine direction is reduced relatively more, on a percentagebasis, than that of the machine direction. In addition, thecross-machine direction strength of the base sheet is typically lessthan that of the machine direction strength. As a result, by embossingwith machine direction elements, the cross-machine direction strength iseven further weakened and, accordingly, because the finished productwill fail in the weakest direction, the product will be more likely tofail when stressed in the cross-machine direction. Often, it ispreferred that the web is “square,” i.e., has a machinedirection/cross-machine direction tensile ratio close to 1.0.

Cross-machine direction tensile strength can be associated with consumerpreference for paper toweling. In particular, consumers prefer a strongtowel, of which cross-machine direction and machine direction strengthare two components. Because the un-embossed base sheet is typically muchstronger in the machine direction than the cross-machine direction, aprocess is desired which results in both improved absorbency andsoftness without sustaining excessive losses in cross-machine directiontensile strength.

The present invention addresses at least the above described problem byproviding at least two embossing rolls, wherein at least a portion ofthe elements are oriented to provide perforating nips which aresubstantially in the cross-machine direction and are configured toperforate the web, thereby allowing relatively greater degradation,i.e., a reduction of strength, of the web in the machine direction whilepreserving more of the cross-machine direction strength.

Further advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in thedescription which follows and in part will be apparent from thedescription or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theadvantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of theinstrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention includes anembossing system for embossing and perforating at least a portion of aweb comprising a first embossing roll having embossing elements and atleast a second embossing roll having embossing elements, whereinjuxtaposition and engagement of the first and second embossing rollsdefine a plurality of perforate nips for embossing and perforating theweb and wherein at least a predominate number of the embossing elementsare configured so as to produce perforating nips which are substantiallyoriented in the cross-machine direction. In one embodiment, theinvention further includes an embossing system wherein substantially allof the embossing elements of the first and second embossing rollsproduce perforating nips which are substantially oriented in thecross-machine direction. Further, in a preferred embodiment, thecross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of 85° to 95° from themachine direction.

In another embodiment, the invention includes an embossing system forembossing at least a portion of a web comprising a first embossing rolland at least a second embossing roll, wherein each of the first andsecond embossing rolls has at least one juxtaposable embossing elementcapable of producing a perforating nip substantially oriented in thecross-machine direction, thereby defining a cross-machine directionperforate nip between the cross-machine direction elements for embossingand perforating the web, and wherein at least a substantial portion ofthe cross-machine direction elements have at least the ends beveled.

In yet another embodiment, the invention includes an embossing systemfor embossing and perforating at least a portion of a web comprising afirst embossing roll and at least a second embossing roll, wherein eachof the first and second embossing rolls has at least one juxtaposableelement capable of producing a perforating nip substantially oriented inthe cross-machine direction, thereby defining a cross-machine directionperforate nip between the cross-machine direction elements for embossingand perforating the web, and wherein the cross-machine directionelements have sidewall angles, the angle between the sidewall and theradial direction on the cross-machine direction sides of the element,juxtaposed so as to be capable of producing a shear line, of less thanabout 20°. In one embodiment the cross-machine direction elements havecross-machine direction sidewall angles of less than about 17°. Inanother embodiment the cross-machine direction elements havecross-machine direction sidewall angles of less than about 14°. In apreferred embodiment, the cross-machine direction elements havecross-machine direction sidewall angles of less than 11°. In a furtherpreferred embodiment the cross-machine direction elements havecross-machine direction sidewall angles of from about 7° to 11°.

In yet another embodiment, the invention includes a method for embossingand perforating at least a portion of a web comprising providing a firstembossing roll having embossing elements and providing at least a secondembossing roll having embossing elements, wherein at least a predominatenumber of the embossing elements, when juxtaposed such that they arecapable of producing perforate nips, are substantially oriented in thecross-machine direction and wherein the first and second embossing rollsdefine a perforate nip for embossing and perforating the web and passingthe web between the first and second embossing rolls wherein the firstand second embossing rolls are configured to result in an elementclearance that will achieve a non-picking clearance while achieving atleast a 15% reduction in the machine direction tensile strength of theweb. We have found that it is desirable to exert special care to controlthe circumferential alignment of the two rolls to alleviate pickingwhich may result from drift caused by local variances in roll diameteror gearing from the ideal.

In still yet another embodiment, the invention includes a method forreducing the tensile ratio of a web by embossing and perforating the webcomprising passing a web through an embossing system, wherein theembossing system comprises a first embossing roll having embossingelements and at least a second embossing roll having embossing elements,wherein the first and second embossing rolls define a plurality ofperforating nips for embossing and perforating the web and wherein atleast a predominant number of the perforating nips which aresubstantially oriented in the cross-machine direction. In oneembodiment, the invention further includes an embossing system whereinsubstantially all of the embossing elements of the first and secondembossing rolls produce perforating nips which are substantiallyoriented in the cross-machine direction. Further, in a preferredembodiment, the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of85-95° from the machine direction.

In yet another embodiment, the invention includes a method for reducingthe tensile ratio of a web by embossing and perforating the webcomprising passing a web through an embossing system, wherein theembossing system comprises a first embossing roll and at least a secondembossing roll, wherein each of the first and second embossing rolls hasat least one juxtaposable embossing element capable of producing aperforating nip substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction,thereby defining a cross-machine direction perforate nip between thecross-machine direction elements for embossing and perforating the weband wherein at least a substantial portion of the cross-machinedirection elements have at least the ends beveled.

In still yet another embodiment, the invention includes a method forreducing the tensile ratio of a web by embossing and perforating the webcomprising, passing a web through an embossing system, wherein theembossing system comprises a first embossing roll and at least a secondembossing roll, wherein each of the first and second embossing rolls hasat least one juxtaposable embossing element capable of producing aperforating nip substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction,thereby defining a cross-machine direction perforate nip between thecross-machine direction elements for embossing and perforating the weband wherein the cross-machine direction elements have cross-machinedirection sidewall angles of less than about 20°. In one embodiment thecross-machine direction elements have cross-machine direction sidewallangles of less than about 17°. In another embodiment the cross-machinedirection elements have cross-machine direction sidewall angles of lessthan about 14°. It is preferred that the cross-machine directionelements have cross-machine direction sidewall angles of less than about11°. It is further preferred that the cross-machine direction elementshave cross-machine direction sidewall angles of from about 7° to 11°.

In another embodiment, the invention includes a method for reducing thetensile ratio of a web by embossing and perforating the web comprisingpassing a web through an embossing system, wherein the embossing systemcomprises a first embossing roll having embossing elements and at leasta second embossing roll having embossing elements, wherein the first andsecond embossing rolls define a perforate nip for embossing andperforating the web and wherein the first and second embossing rolls areconfigured to result in an element clearance that will achieve anon-picking clearance.

The invention further includes a perforate embossed web having aplurality of cross-machine direction oriented perforations wherein theembossed web has a tensile ratio of less than about 1.2. The inventionfurther includes a perforate embossed web having a transluminance ratio(as defined hereinafter) of at least 1.005. Still further, the inventionincludes a wet-laid cellulosic perforate embossed web having perforateembossments extending predominately in the cross-machine direction.

Finally, the invention includes a method of embossing and perforatingthe web comprising passing a web through an embossing system, whereinthe embossing system comprises a first embossing roll having embossingelements and at least a second embossing roll having embossing elements,wherein the first and second embossing rolls define a plurality ofperforate nips for embossing and perforating the web, and wherein thetensile ratio of the web is reduced.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitutea part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention,and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-D illustrates embossing rolls having cross-machine directionelements according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates cross-machine direction elements according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates cross-machine direction elements according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates the alignment of the cross-machine direction elementsaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates the alignment of the cross-machine direction elementsaccording to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates the alignment of the cross-machine direction elementsaccording to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates the alignment of the cross-machine direction elementsaccording to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a photomicrograph illustrating the effect of cross-machinedirection elements on a web according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a photomicrograph illustrating the effect of cross-machinedirection elements on a web according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates the effect of cross-machine direction elements on aweb according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates the effect of cross-machine direction elements on aweb according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 12A-C are side views of the cross-machine direction elements ofembodiments of the present invention having differing wall angles andillustrating the effect of the differing wall angles.

FIGS. 13A-C are side views of the cross-machine direction elements ofembodiments of the present invention having differing wall angles andillustrating the effect of the differing wall angles.

FIGS. 14A-C are side views of the cross-machine direction elements ofyet another embodiment of the present invention having differing wallangles and illustrating the effect of the differing wall angles.

FIG. 15 depicts a transluminance test apparatus.

FIGS. 16A-B illustrate embossing rolls having both cross-machinedirection and machine direction elements according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIGS. 17A-C illustrate the effects of over embossing a web portion inthe machine direction and cross-machine direction when using rigid toresilient embossing as compared to perforate embossing a web as in FIG.17D.

FIG. 18 is a graph illustrating the reduction in machine directiontensile strength according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a graph illustrating the effect on fiber picking according tocertain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a graph illustrating the effect on fiber picking according tocertain embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

The present invention can be used to emboss a variety of types ofwet-laid cellulosic webs including paper, and the like. The webs can becontinuous or of a fixed length. Moreover, embossed webs can be used toproduce any art recognized product, including, but not limited to, papertowels, napkins, tissue, or the like. Moreover, the resulting productcan be a single ply or a multi-ply paper product, or a laminated paperproduct having multiple plies. In addition, the present invention can beused with a web made from virgin furnish, recycled furnish, or a webcontaining both virgin and recycled furnish, synthetic fibers, or anycombination thereof.

In accordance with the invention, as broadly described, the convertingprocess includes an embossing system of at least two embossing rolls,the embossing rolls defining at least one nip through which a web to beembossed is passed. The embossing elements are patterned to createperforations in the web as it is passed through the nip.

Generally, for purposes of this invention, perforations are created whenthe strength of the web is locally degraded between two bypassingembossing elements resulting in either (1) a macro scalethrough-aperture or (2) in those cases where a macro scalethrough-aperture is not present, at least incipient tearing, where suchtearing would increase the transmittivity of light through a smallregion of the web or would decrease the machine direction strength of aweb by at least 15% for a given range of embossing depths. FIG. 18depicts a comparison of the effects on reduction of strength in themachine direction when perforate embossing a web, as defined herein, andnon-perforate embossing a web. In particular, a conventional wet pressedbase sheet was perforate embossed between two steel rolls. The same basesheet was non-perforate embossed in a rubber to steel configuration. Inaddition, a through-air-dried base sheet was also perforate andnon-perforate embossed. The reduction in machine direction strength wasmeasured for each of the sheets. The results are plotted on FIG. 18.

As shown in FIG. 18, when non-perforate embossing either a CWP or TADweb to depths of up to 40 mils, the reduction of paper strength in themachine direction is less than 5%. And, when non-perforate embossingeither of the CWP or TAD webs at a depth of 80 mils, the reduction ofstrength of the web is less than 15%. When perforate embossing a web asdisclosed in this invention, a greater reduction in strength of the webcan be achieved. In the example set forth herein, strength reductions ofgreater than 15% are achieved when perforate embossing at depths of atleast about 15 mils as compared to rubber to steel embossing which canresult in these strength losses at emboss depths of over 60 mils.Accordingly, for purposes of this invention, perforation is specificallydefined as locally degrading the strength of the web between twobypassing embossing elements resulting in either (1) the formation of amacro scale through-aperture or (2) when a macro scale through-apertureis not formed, at least incipient tearing, where such tearing wouldeither increase the transmittivity of light through a small region ofthe web or would decrease the machine direction strength of a web by atleast the percentages set forth in FIG. 18, wherein the “at least”percentages are indicated by the dashed line.

Not being bound by theory, we believe that the superior strengthreduction results achieved using the present invention are due to thelocation of the local degradation of the web when perforate embossing ascompared to when non-perforate embossing. When a web is embossed, eitherby perforate or non-perforate methods, the portion of the web subject tothe perforate or non-perforate nip is degraded. In particular, as a webpasses through a non-perforate nip for embossing, the web is stressedbetween the two embossing surfaces such that the fiber bonds arestretched and sometimes, when the web is over embossed, which is notdesired when non-perforate embossing a web, the bonds are torn orbroken. When a web is passed through a perforate nip, the web fiberbonds are at least incipiently torn by the stresses caused by the twobypassing perforate elements. As stated above, however, one differencebetween the two methods appears to be in the location of the at leastincipient tearing.

When a web is over-embossed in a rubber to steel configuration, the malesteel embossing elements apply pressure to the web and the rubber roll,causing the rubber to deflect away from the pressure, while the rubberalso pushes back. As the male embossing elements roll across the rubberroll during the embossing process, the male elements press the web intothe rubber roll which causes tension in the web at the area of the weblocated at the top edges of the deflected rubber roll, i.e., at theareas at the base of the male embossing elements. When the web isover-embossed, tearing can occur at these high-tension areas. Moreparticularly, FIGS. 17A-C depict rubber to steel embossing of a web atvarious embossing depths. FIG. 17A depicts embossing of a web atapproximately 0 mils. In this configuration the rubber roll pins the webat the points where the web contacts the steel roll element tops.Typically no tearing will occur in this configuration. In FIG. 17B,where the embossing depth is approximately the height of the steelembossing element, the web is pinned at the element tops and at a pointbetween the bases of the adjacent steel elements. As with theconfiguration depicted in FIG. 17A, tearing does not typically occur inthis configuration for conventional embossing procedures. FIG. 17Cdepicts an embossing depth comparable to or greater than the height ofthe steel element. In this configuration, the “free span” of the web,i.e., the sections of the web that are not pinned between the rubber andsteel rolls, becomes shorter as the rubber material fills the areabetween the adjacent elements. When web rupturing occurs, it tends tooccur near the last location where web movement is possible; that is,the area of degradation 40 is the last area that is filled by the rubbermaterial, namely the corners where the bases of the elements meet thesurface of the emboss roll.

When a web is perforate embossed, on the other hand, the areas ofdegradation 42, as shown in FIG. 17D, are located along the sides of theperforate embossing element. It appears that as a result of thisdifference the degradation of the web and the resultant reduction of webstrength is dramatically different.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the embossingrolls have substantially identical embossing element patterns, with atleast a portion of the embossing elements configured such that they arecapable of producing perforating nips which are capable of perforatingthe web. As the web is passed through the nip, an embossing pattern isimparted on the web. It is preferred that the embossing rolls be eithersteel or hard rubber, or other suitable polymer. The direction of theweb as it passes through the nip is referred to as the machinedirection. The transverse direction of the web that spans the embossroll is referred to as the cross-machine direction. It is furtherpreferred that a predominant number, i.e., at least 50% or more, of theperforations are configured to be oriented such that the major axis ofthe perforation is substantially oriented in the cross-machinedirection. An embossing element is substantially oriented in thecross-machine direction when the long axis of the perforation nip formedby the embossing element is at an angle of from about 60° to 120° fromthe machine direction of the web.

In an embodiment according to the present invention, and as shown inFIG. 1, the converting process includes an embossing system 20 of twoembossing rolls 22 defining a nip 28 through which the web 32 to beembossed is passed. According to one embodiment, the embossing rolls 22are matched embossing rolls. The embossing rolls can be, for example,either steel or hard rubber, or other suitable polymer. The embossingrolls 22 have at least a portion of embossing elements 34 oriented suchthat the major axis of the elements 34 is in the cross-machinedirection, i.e., the elements are in the cross-machine direction. It ispossible to envisage configurations in which perforations extending inthe cross-machine direction are formed by elements which are longer inthe machine direction, although such a configuration would normally besub-optimal as it would compromise the overall number of perforationswhich could be formed in the web. Accordingly, when we discuss elementsoriented in the cross-machine direction, we are referring to elementsthat are configured such that the orientation of the perforation formedby those elements extends in the cross-machine direction, irrespectiveof the shape of the remainder of the element not contributing to theshape of the nip, whether the element be male or female. While theembossing rolls 22 can also have embossing elements oriented such thatthe major axis of the elements is in the machine direction, apredominant number, i.e., at least 50% or more, of the elements 34should be oriented such that they are capable of producing perforatingnips extending in the cross-machine direction. In another embodiment,substantially all, i.e., at least more than 75%, of the elements 34 areoriented such that they are capable of producing perforating nipsextending in the cross-machine direction. In yet another embodiment, allof the elements are oriented in the cross-machine direction. Moreover,at least about 25% of the cross-machine direction elements areperforating elements. In a preferred embodiment, all of thecross-machine direction elements are perforating elements. Thus, whenthe web passes through the embossing rolls 22, at least a portion of thecross-machine direction elements are aligned such that the web isperforated such that at least a portion of the perforations aresubstantially oriented in the cross-machine direction.

The end product characteristics of a cross-machine direction perforatedembossed product can depend upon a variety of factors of the embossingelements that are imparting a pattern on the web. These factors caninclude one or more of the following: embossing element height, angle,shape, including sidewall angle, spacing, engagement, and alignment, aswell as the physical properties of the rolls, base sheet, and otherfactors. Following is a discussion of a number of these factors.

An individual embossing element 34 has certain physical properties, suchas height, angle, and shape, that affect the embossing pattern during anembossing process. The embossing element can be either a male embossingelement or a female embossing element. The height of an element 34 isthe distance the element 34 protrudes from the surface of the embossingroll 22. It is preferred that the embossing elements 34 have a height ofat least about 15 mils. In one embodiment according to the presentinvention, the cross-machine direction elements 34 have a height of atleast about 30 mils. In another embodiment of the present invention, thecross-machine direction elements 34 have a height of greater than about45 mils. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the cross-machineelements have a height of greater than about 60 mils. In yet anotherembodiment, a plurality of the elements 34 on the roll have at least tworegions having a first region having elements having a first height andat least a second region having elements having a second height. In apreferred embodiment, the elements 34 have a height of between about 30to 65 mils. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand thatthere are a variety of element heights that can be used, depending upona variety of factors, such as the type of web being embossed and thedesired end product.

The angle of the cross-machine direction elements 34 substantiallydefines the direction of the degradation of the web due to cross-machineperforate embossing. When the elements 34 are oriented at an angle ofabout 90° from the machine direction, i.e., in the absolutecross-machine direction, the perforation of the web can be substantiallyin the direction of about 90° from the machine direction and, thus, thedegradation of web strength is substantially in the machine direction.On the other hand, when the elements 34 are oriented at an angle fromthe absolute cross-machine direction, degradation of strength in themachine direction will be less and degradation of strength in thecross-machine direction will be more as compared to a system where theelements 34 are in the absolute cross-machine direction.

The angle of the elements 34 can be selected based on the desiredproperties of the end product. Thus, the selected angle can be any anglethat results in the desired end product. In an embodiment according tothe present invention, the cross-machine direction elements 34 can beoriented at an angle of at least about 60° from the machine direction ofthe web and less than about 120° from the machine direction of the web.In another embodiment, the cross-machine direction elements 34 areoriented at an angle from at least about 75° from the machine directionof the web and less than about 105° from the machine direction of theweb. In yet another embodiment, the cross-machine direction elements 34are oriented at an angle from at least about 80° from the machinedirection of the web and less than about 100° from the machine directionof the web. In a preferred embodiment, the cross-machine directionelements 34 are oriented at an angle of about 85-95° from the machinedirection.

A variety of element shapes can be successfully used in the presentinvention. The element shape is the “footprint” of the top surface ofthe element, as well as the side profile of the element. It is preferredthat the elements 34 have a length (in the cross-machinedirection)/width (in the machine direction) (L/W) aspect ratio of atleast greater than 1.0, however while noted above as sub-optimal, theelements 34 can have an aspect ratio of less than 1.0. It is furtherpreferred that the aspect ratio be about 2.0. One element shape that canbe used in this invention is a hexagonal element, as depicted in FIG. 2.Another element shape, termed an oval, is depicted in FIG. 3. For ovalelements, it is preferred that the ends have radii of at least about0.003″ and less than about 0.030″ for at least the side of the elementforming a perforate nip. In one embodiment, the end radii are about0.0135″. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that avariety of different embossing element shapes, such as rectangular, canbe employed to vary the embossing pattern.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the elements 34 are beveled. Inparticular, in one embodiment the ends of a portion of the elements 34are beveled. Oval elements with beveled edges are depicted in FIG. 1. Bybeveling the edges, the disruptions caused by the embossing elements canbe better directed in the cross-machine direction, thereby reducingcross-machine direction degradation caused by the unintentional machinedirection disruptions. The bevel dimensions can be from at least about0.010″ to at least about 0.025″ long in the cross-machine direction andfrom at least about 0.005″ to at least about 0.015″ in the z-direction.Other elements, such as hexagonal elements, can be beveled, as well.

The cross-machine direction sidewall of the elements 34 defines thecutting edge of the elements 34. According to one embodiment of thepresent invention, the cross-machine direction sidewalls of the elements34 are angled. As such, when the cross-machine direction sidewalls areangled, the base of the element 34 has a width that is larger than thatof the top of the element. It is preferred that the cross-machinedirection sidewall angle be less than about 20°. It is still furtherpreferred that the cross-machine direction sidewall angle be less thanabout 17°. It is still further preferred that the cross-machinedirection sidewall angle be less than about 14°. Finally, in a preferredembodiment the cross-machine direction sidewall angle is less than about11°. It is further preferred that the cross-machine direction sidewallangle be between about 7° and 11°.

When the opposing elements 34 of the embossing rolls are engaged witheach other during an embossing process, the effect on the web isimpacted by at least element spacing, engagement, and alignment. Whenperforate embossing, the elements 34 are spaced such that the clearancebetween the sidewalls of elements of a pair, i.e., one element 34 fromeach of the opposing embossing rolls 22, creates a nip that perforatesthe web as it is passed though the embossing rolls 22. If the clearancebetween elements 34 on opposing rolls is too great, the desiredperforation of the web may not occur. On the other hand, if theclearance between elements 34 is too little, the physical properties ofthe finished product may be degraded excessively or the embossingelements themselves could be damaged. The required level of engagementof the embossing rolls is at least a function of the embossing pattern(element array, sidewall angle, and element height), and the base sheetproperties, e.g., basis weight, caliper, strength, and stretch. At aminimum, it is preferred that the clearances between the sidewalls ofthe opposing elements of the element pair be sufficient to avoidinterference between the elements. In one embodiment, the minimumclearance is about a large fraction of the thickness of the base sheet.For example, if a conventional wet press (CWP) base sheet having athickness of 4 mils is being embossed, the clearance can be at leastabout 2-3 mils. If the base sheet is formed by a process which resultsin a web with rather more bulk, such as, for example, a through airdried (TAD) method or by use of an undulatory creping blade, theclearance could desirably be relatively less. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will be able to determine the desired element spacing of thepresent invention based on the factors discussed above using theprinciples and examples discussed further herein.

As noted above, in one embodiment it is preferred that the height of theelements 34 be at least about 30 mils, and it is further preferred thatthe height be from about 30 to 65 mils. Engagement, as used herein, isthe overlap in the z-direction of the elements from opposing embossingrolls when they are engaged to form a perforating nip. The engagementoverlap should be at least 1 mil.

In one embodiment, the engagement is at least about 15 mils. Variousengagements are depicted in FIGS. 12-14. In particular, FIG. 12 depictsa 32 mil engagement. That is, the overlap of the elements, in thez-direction, is 32 mils. The desired engagement is determined by avariety of factors, including element height, element sidewall angle,element spacing, desired effect of the embossing elements on the basesheet, and the base sheet properties, e.g., basis weight, caliper,strength, and stretch. Those of ordinary skill in the art willunderstand that a variety of engagements can be employed based on theabove, as well as other factors. It is preferred that the engagement bechosen to substantially degrade the machine direction tensile strengthof the web. It is further preferred that the engagement be at leastabout 5 mils.

In one embodiment, where the element height is about 42.5 mils and theelements have sidewall angles of from about 7° to 11°, the engagementrange can be from about 16 to 32 mils. FIG. 12 depicts a 32 milengagement, where the element heights are 42.5 mils and the sidewallangles are 7°, 9°, and 11°. It is believed that lower sidewall anglesmake the process significantly easier to run with more controllabilityand decreased tendency to “picking.”

The element alignment also affects the degradation of the web in themachine and cross-machine directions. Element alignment refers to thealignment in the cross-machine direction within the embossing elementpairs when the embossing rolls are engaged. FIG. 4 depicts an embodimentincluding hexagonal embossing elements having a full step alignment,i.e., where the elements are completely overlapped in the cross-machinedirection. FIG. 5. depicts an embodiment wherein hexagonal embossingelements are in half step alignment, i.e., where the elements of eachelement pair are staggered so that half of the engaged portion of theircross-machine direction dimensions overlap. FIG. 6. depicts anembodiment wherein hexagonal embossing elements are in quarter stepalignment, i.e., where the elements of each element pair are staggeredso that one quarter of the engaged portion of their cross-machinedirection dimensions overlap. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 7 is astaggered array, wherein each element pair is in half step alignmentwith adjacent element pairs. Those of ordinary skill in the art willunderstand that a variety of element alignments are available for usewith this invention, depending upon preferred embossing patterns, webstrength requirements, and other factors.

FIGS. 8-9 depict the effects of various alignments of a hexagonalelement arrangement on a web. In the example depicted in FIG. 8, wherethe elements are in full step alignment, perforations exist only in thecross-machine direction in the area between the element pairs. However,between the pairs of element pairs, occasional machine directionperforations can be caused in the machine direction. The result is adegradation of strength in both the machine and cross-machinedirections. In the example depicted in FIG. 9, the web is embossed byelement pairs in half step alignment. In this example, the perforationsexist primarily in the cross-machine direction, with some minorperforations caused in the machine-direction. Thus, in FIG. 9, machinedirection strength is degraded, and cross-machine direction strength isdegraded to a lesser extent.

As noted above, the elements can be both in the machine direction andcross-machine direction. FIG. 16 depicts an emboss roll havingcross-machine direction and machine direction hexagonal elements.

In another embodiment, depicted in FIG. 10, beveled oval elements are infull step alignment. As with the full step hexagonal elements discussedabove, in the area between the element pairs perforations existprimarily in the cross-machine direction. However, between the pairs ofelement pairs, perforations can be caused in the machine direction. Theresult is a degradation of strength in both the machine andcross-machine directions. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 11, on theother hand, where the beveled oval elements in a half step alignment areemployed, the machine direction perforations are substantially reduced.In particular, between the elements in half step alignment, theperforation lies primarily in the cross-machine direction. Between theelement pairs, which are in zero step alignment, primarily pinpointruptures exist. These pinpoint ruptures have a minor effect ondegradation of the directional properties of the web.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that numerousdifferent configurations of the above described element parameters,i.e., element shape, angle, sidewall angle, spacing, height, engagement,and alignment, can be employed in the present invention. The selectionof each of these parameters may depend upon the base sheet used, thedesired end product, or a variety of other factors.

One factor, which is impacted by these parameters, is “picking” of theweb as it is embossed. Picking is the occurrence of fiber being left onthe embossing roll or rolls as the web is embossed. Fiber on the rollcan diminish the runability of the process for embossing the web,thereby interfering with embossing performance. When the performance ofthe embossing rolls is diminished to the point that the end product isnot acceptable or the rolls are being damaged, it is necessary to stopthe embossing process so that the embossing rolls can be cleaned. Withany embossing process, there is normally a small amount of fiber left onthe roll which does not interfere with the process if the roll isinspected periodically, e.g., weekly, and cleaned, if necessary. Forpurposes of the invention, we define picking as the deposition of fiberon the rolls at a rate that would require shut down for cleaning of therolls more frequently than once a week.

EXAMPLES

The following examples exhibit the occurrence of picking observed incertain arrangements of cross-machine direction perforate embossedpatterns. This data was generated during trials using steel embossingrolls engraved with the cross-machine direction beveled oval embossingpattern at three different sidewall angles. In particular, the embossingrolls were engraved with three separate regions on the rolls—a 7°embossing pattern, a 9° embossing pattern, and an 11° embossing pattern.Two trials were performed. In the first trial, the embossing rolls hadan element height of 45 mils. The base sheet, having a thickness of 6.4mils, was embossed at engagements of 16, 24, and 32 mils. In the secondtrial, the steel rolls were modified by grinding 2.5 mils off the topsof the embossing elements, thereby reducing the element height to 42.5mils and increasing the surface area of the element tops. The base sheethaving a thickness of 6.2 mils was embossed at engagements of 16, 24,28, and 32 mils. For each trial, embossing was performed in both halfstep and full step alignment.

The element clearances for each of the sidewall angles of the first andsecond trials have been plotted against embossing engagement in FIGS. 19and 20, respectively. The broken horizontal line on each plot indicatesthe caliper of a single ply of the base sheet that was embossed. Thegraphs have been annotated to show whether fiber picking was observed ateach of the trial conditions (half step observation being to the left ofthe slash, full step observation to the right). The picking results aredepicted in FIGS. 19 and 20.

FIG. 19 shows that for this particular trial using embossing rollshaving a 45 mil element height, picking did not occur at any of thesidewall angles. However, as shown in FIG. 20, when the embossing rollshaving a 42.5 mil element height were run, fiber picking was observed onthe 11° sidewall angle elements at the higher embossing engagements,i.e., 24, 28, and 32 mils. No fiber picking was encountered withelements having sidewall angles of 7° or 9°.

Based on the observed data, it appears that picking is a function of theelement height, engagement, spacing, clearance, sidewall angle,alignment, and the particular physical properties of the base sheet,including base sheet caliper. An example of element clearance can beseen in FIG. 12, where the side profiles of the 42.5 mil elements(having 7°, 9°, and 11° sidewall angles) at 32 mil embossing engagementare shown. Clearance is the distance between adjacent engaging embossingelements. As noted above, the caliper of the embossed sheet for thistrial was 6.2 mils. As shown in FIG. 12, the calculated or theoreticalclearance at 70 is 0.004906″ (4.906 mils), the clearance at 90 is0.003911″ (3.911 mils), and the clearance at 11° is 0.00311″ (3.11mils). Thus, for this trial at a 32 mil engagement, picking was observedonly when the clearance was less than about ½ of the caliper of thesheet. Compare this to the clearances shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 13 depictsthe sidewall profiles of the 42.5 mil elements at 28 mil embossingengagement. In this arrangement, the calculated or theoretical clearanceat 7° is 0.006535″ (6.535 mils), the clearance at 9° is 0.005540″ (5.540mils), and the clearance at 11° is 0.004745″ (4.745 mils). In thistrial, picking was observed when the clearance was less than about ¾ ofthe caliper of the sheet. Note, however, that when embossing at 32 mils,as described above, picking did not occur at 9°, while the clearance wasless than 4.745 mils. FIG. 14 depicts the sidewall profiles of the 42.5mil elements at 24 mil engagement. In this arrangement, the clearance at11° is 0.005599″ (5.599 mils), slightly less than the caliper of thesheet. As shown on FIG. 20, picking did occur for these elements, butonly when the elements were in full step alignment and not when in halfstep alignment. And, as shown in FIG. 19, picking did not occur at all,at any angle, engagement, or alignment, for the 45 mil embossing rolls.

Thus, based on the collected data, picking can be controlled by varyingelement height, engagement, spacing, clearance, alignment, sidewallangle, roll condition, and the physical properties of the base sheet.Based upon the exemplified information, those of ordinary skill in theart will understand the effects of the various parameters and will beable to determine the various arrangements that will at least achieve anon-picking operation, i.e., the configuration required to avoid anunacceptable amount of picking based on the factors discussed above,and, hence, produce acceptable paper products with a process that doesnot require excessive downtime for roll cleaning.

To establish the effectiveness of the various element patterns inperforating the web in the cross-machine direction, and therebydegrading machine direction strength while maintaining cross-machinedirection strength, a test was developed, the transluminance test, toquantify a characteristic of perforated embossed webs that is readilyobserved with the human eye. A perforated embossed web that ispositioned over a light source will exhibit pinpoints of light intransmission when viewed at a low angle and from certain directions. Thedirection from which the sample must be viewed, e.g., machine directionor cross-machine direction, in order to see the light, is dependent uponthe orientation of the embossing elements. Machine direction orientedembossing elements tend to generate machine direction ruptures in theweb which can be primarily seen when viewing the web in thecross-machine direction. Cross-machine direction oriented embossingelements, on the other hand, tend to generate cross-machine directionruptures in the web which can be seen primarily when viewing the web inthe machine direction.

The transluminance test apparatus, as depicted in FIG. 15, consists of apiece of cylindrical tube 44 that is approximately 8.5″ long and cut ata 28° angle. The inside surface of the tube is painted flat black tominimize the reflection noise in the readings. Light transmitted throughthe web itself, and not through a rupture, is an example of a non-targetlight source that could contribute to translucency noise which couldlead non-perforate embossed webs to have transluminance ratios slightlyexceeding 1.0, but typically by no more than about 0.05 points. Adetector 46, attached to the non-angled end of the pipe, measures thetransluminance of the sample. A light table 48, having a translucentglass surface, is the light source.

The test is performed by placing the sample 50 in the desiredorientation on the light table 48. The detector 46 is placed on top ofthe sample 50 with the long axis of the tube 44 aligned with the axis ofthe sample 50, either the machine direction or cross-machine direction,that is being measured and the reading on a digital illuminometer 52 isrecorded. The sample 50 is turned 90° and the procedure is repeated.This is done two more times until all four views, two in the machinedirection and two in the cross-machine direction, are measured. In orderto reduce variability, all four measurements are taken on the same areaof the sample 50 and the sample 50 is always placed in the same locationon the light table 48. To evaluate the transluminance ratio, the twomachine direction readings are summed and divided by the sum of the twocross-machine direction readings.

To illustrate the results achieved when perforate embossing withcross-machine direction elements as compared to machine directionelements, a variety of webs were tested according to the above describedtransluminance test. The results of the test are shown in Table 1. TABLE1 Transluminance Ratios Basis Creping Trans- Weight Method Emboss Embossluminance (lbs/ream) (Blade) Alignment Pattern Ratio 30 Undulatory FullStep CD Beveled Oval 1.074 30 Undulatory Half Step CD Beveled Oval 1.05632 Undulatory Half Step CD Beveled Oval 1.050 30 Undulatory Half Step CDOval 1.047 31 Undulatory Half Step CD Oval 1.044 31 Undulatory Full StepCD Oval 1.043 30 Undulatory Full Step CD Beveled Oval 1.040 32Undulatory Half Step CD Beveled Oval 1.033 30 Undulatory Half Step CDBeveled Oval 1.033 30 Undulatory Full Step CD Oval 1.027 32 UndulatoryHalf Step CD Beveled Oval 1.025 30 Undulatory Half Step CD Oval 1.022 31Undulatory Full Step CD Oval 1.018 20 Undulatory Half Step CD BeveledOval 1.015 30 Undulatory Half Step CD Beveled Oval 1.012 30 UndulatoryFull Step CD Beveled Oval 1.006 28 Standard Unknown MD Perforated 1.00024 Undulatory Half Step MD Perforated 0.988 22 Standard Unknown MDPerforated 0.980 29 Undulatory Half Step MD Perforated 0.966 29Undulatory Half Step MD Perforated 0.951 31 Undulatory Half Step MDPerforated 0.942 29 Undulatory Half Step MD Perforated 0.925

A transluminance ratio of greater than 1.000 indicates that the majorityof the perforations are in the cross-machine direction. For embossingrolls having cross-machine direction elements, the majority of theperforations are in the cross-machine direction. And, for the machinedirection perforated webs, the majority of the perforations are in themachine direction. Thus, the transluminance ratio can provide a readymethod of indicating the predominant orientation of the perforations ina web.

As noted above, perforated embossing in the cross-machine directionpreserves cross-machine direction tensile strength. Thus, based on thedesired end product, a web perforate embossed with a cross-machinedirection pattern will exhibit one of the following when compared to thesame base sheet embossed with a machine direction pattern: (a) a highercross-machine direction tensile strength at equivalent finished productcaliper, or (b) a higher caliper at equivalent finished productcross-machine direction tensile strength.

Furthermore, the tensile ratio (a comparison of the machine directiontensile strength to the cross-machine direction tensile strength—MDstrength/CD strength) of the cross-machine perforate embossed webtypically will be at or below the tensile ratio of the base sheet, whilethe tensile ratio of the sheet embossed using prior art machinedirection perforate embossing typically will be higher than that of thebase sheet. These observations are illustrated by the followingexamples.

Higher cross-machine direction strength at equivalent caliper isdemonstrated in Table 2. This table compares two products perforateembossed from the same base sheet—a 29 pounds per ream (Ibs/R),undulatory blade-creped, conventional wet press (CWP) sheet. TABLE 2Increased CD Strength at Equivalent Caliper MD Dry CD Dry Dry TensileEmboss Basis Wt. Caliper Tensile Tensile Ratio (perforate) (lbs/R)(mils) (g/3″) (g/3″) (MD/CD) CD 29.1 144 3511 3039 1.16 Hexagonal MD29.2 140 4362 1688 2.58 Hexagonal

As shown in Table 2, the cross-machine direction perforate embossed webhas approximately the same caliper as the machine direction perforateembossed web (144 vs. 140 mils, respectively), but its cross-machinedirection dry tensile strength (3039 g/3″) is considerably higher thanthat of the machine direction hexagonal-embossed web (1688 g/3″). Inaddition, compared to the tensile ratio of the base sheet (1.32), thecross-machine direction perforate embossed web has a lower ratio (1.16),while the machine direction perforate embossed web has a higher ratio(2.58). Thus the method of the present invention provides a convenient,low cost way of “squaring” the sheet—that is, bringing the tensile ratiocloser to 1.0.

Higher caliper at equivalent finished product cross-machine directiontensile strength is illustrated by three examples presented in Table 3.For each example a common base sheet (identified above each data set)was perforate embossed with a cross-machine direction and a machinedirection oriented pattern (Hollow Diamond is a machine directionoriented perforate emboss). TABLE 3 Increased Caliper at Equivalent CDTensile Strength MD Dry CD Dry Dry Tensile Emboss Basis Wt. CaliperTensile Tensile Ratio (perforate) (lbs/R) (mils) (g/3″) (g/3″) (MD/CD)Base Sheet-undulatory blade-creped, CWP base sheet with tensile ratio =1.32 CD Quilt 28.8 108 4773 4068 1.17 MD Quilt 28.8 78 6448 3880 1.66Base Sheet-undulatory blade-creped, CWP base sheet with tensile ratio =1.32 CD Quilt 29.5 154 2902 2363 1.23 MD Quilt 29.5 120 5361 2410 2.22Base Sheet-undulatory blade-creped, CWP base sheet with tensile ratio =1.94 CD Oval 24.6 75 4805 2551 1.88 Hollow 24.1 56 5365 2364 2.27Diamond

In each case, the cross-machine direction perforate embossed productdisplays enhanced caliper at equivalent cross-machine direction drytensile strength relative to its machine direction perforate embossedcounterpart. Also, the cross-machine direction perforate embossedproduct has a lower tensile ratio, while the machine direction perforateembossed product a higher tensile ratio, when compared to thecorresponding base sheet.

The current invention further allows for a substantial reduction in basepaper weight while maintaining the end product performance of a higherbasis weight product. As shown below in Table 4, wherein the web isformed of recycled fibers, the lower basis weight cross-machinedirection perforate embossed towels achieved similar results to machinedirection perforate embossed toweling made with higher basis weights.TABLE 4 Performance Comparisons. PRODUCT ID 20204 22#30C6 30.5#HD28#29C8 EMBOSS Hollow CD Oval Hollow CD Oval Diamond (CD Diamond (CD (MDPerforate) (MD Perforate) Perforate) Perforate) BASIS WT 24.1 22.2 31.328.9 (LBS/REAM) CALIPER 56 62 76 81 DRY MD TENSILE 5365 5057 5751 4144(g/3″) DRY CD TENSILE 2364 2391 3664 3254 (g/3″) MD STRETCH (%) 7.6 8.18.8 10.1 CD STRETCH (%) 6.3 6.1 5.5 5.3 WET MD CURED 1236 1418 1409 922TENSILE (g/3″) WET CD CURED 519 597 776 641 TENSILE (g/3″) MacBeth 310072.3 72.6 73.3 73.4 BRIGHTNESS (%) SAT CAPACITY 98 102 104 119 (g/m²)SINTECH MODULUS 215 163 232 162 BULK DENSITY 367 405 340 385 WETRESILIENCY 0.735 0.725 0.714 0.674 (RATIO)

In Table 4, two comparisons are shown. In the first comparison, an 24.1lbs/ream machine direction perforated web is compared with a 22.2lbs/ream cross-machine direction perforated web. Despite the basisweight difference of 1.9 lbs/ream, most of the web characteristics ofthe lower basis weight web are comparable to, if not better than, thoseof the higher basis weight web. For example, the caliper and the bulkdensity of the cross-machine direction perforated web are each about 10%higher than those of the machine direction perforated web. The wet anddry tensile strengths of the webs are comparable, while the Sintechmodulus of the cross-machine direction perforated web (i.e., the tensilestiffness of the web, where a lower number is preferred) is considerablyless than that of the machine direction perforated web. In the secondcomparison, similar results are achieved in the sense that comparabletensile ratios and physicals can be obtained with a lower basis weightweb. Paradoxically, consumer data indicates that the 28#29C8 product wasrated equivalent to the 30.5#HD product while the 22#30C6 product was atstatistical parity with the 20204 product, but was possibly slightlyless preferred than the 20204 product.

This invention can be used in a variety of different processes. The websin each of the above-described examples were formed in a conventionalwet press process. However, the invention is equally applicable when thebase web is a through air dried web. In addition, to increase thesmoothness of the resulting product, the web may be calendered. Or, asin one of the examples above, to increase the bulkiness of the product,an undulatory creping blade such as described in U.S. Pat. No.5,690,788, which is herein incorporated by reference, may be used. Thoseof ordinary skill in the art will understand the variety of processes inwhich the above-described invention can be employed.

It is understood that the invention is not confined to the particularconstruction and arrangement of parts and the particular processesdescribed herein but embraces such modified forms thereof as come withinthe scope of the following claims.

1-103. (canceled)
 104. A perforate embossed web having a plurality ofcross-machine direction oriented perforations wherein the embossed webhas a tensile ratio of less than about 1.2.
 105. A perforate embossedweb having a transluminance ratio of at least 1.005.
 106. The perforateembossed web of claim 105 having a transluminance ratio of at least1.01.
 107. A wet-laid cellulosic perforate embossed web having perforateembossments extending predominately in the cross-machine direction. 108.The wet-laid cellulosic perforate embossed web having perforateembossments extending predominately in the cross-machine direction ofclaim 107 wherein the perforate embossments extend in the cross-machinedirection for at least about 10 mils.
 109. The wet-laid cellulosicperforate embossed web having perforate embossments extendingpredominately in the cross-machine direction of claim 107 wherein theangle between the perforate embossments extending in the cross-machinedirection and the machine direction of the web is between 600 and 1200.110. The wet-laid cellulosic perforate embossed web having perforateembossments extending predominately in the cross-machine direction ofclaim 107 wherein said perforate embossments extend substantiallythrough the thickness of the web.
 111. The wet-laid cellulosic perforateembossed web according to claim 105 having a transluminance ratio of atleast 1.02. 112-113. (canceled)